Mental and behavioural disorders account for 19% of the global burden of disease - WHO

It is estimated that nearly 450 million people suffer from a mental or behavioural disorder in the world - WHO

Nearly 10% of total population suffers from these disorders - WHO

Mental health is a state of well-being in which an individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.

Nearly 1% of the Indian population suffer from serious mental & behavioural disorders and 10% from moderate disorders, requiring psychiatric help.

By 2020 mental depression will be largest cause of disabilty worldwide and by 2025 it may overtake heart diseases as the biggest health concern - WHO

About half of mental disorders begin before the age of 14 - WHO

Around 20% of the world's children and adolescents are estimated to have mental disorders or problems - WHO

News Updates

'Everyone knows that stress is bad for your heart. But one kind of stress in particular is associated with a 13-times higher risk of heart attack, according to a new study out of South Africa.
BY LAUREN CAHN'

'Tracking the use of certain words by people predicts biological stress
Speech patterns predict these changes better than volunteer self-assessments
The research could open up new ways to study our stress levels
It could help us understand how psychological pressures change our health'

'A research team led by Professor Min Kyung-bok of Seoul National University College of Medicine has confirmed that smartphone-addicted college students use their phone twice as much as ordinary people if they have stress, depression or anxiety.'

'Financial stress is believed to be causing mental and other health problems. Data from different sources shows that many South Africans are burdened by high levels of debt and are living from pay-cheque to pay-cheque.'

'The NHS is improving how it treats mental health, but simply isn’t equipped to cope with the scale of the crisis in the UK. Is modern life incompatible with mental wellbeing, asks Richard Carlton-Crabtree'

'1-800-273-8255 is not just a song on Spotify’s Billboard Hot 100. It’s also the National Suicide Prevention Hotline, a 24/7 confidential service that aims to support those in emotional distress. To some, this is just a number; to others, it may be the difference between life and death.'

'Girls and young women are experiencing a “gathering crisis” in their mental health linked to conflict with friends, fears about their body image and pressures created by social media, experts have warned.'

'NASA is funding a study to work out how to treat the mental health of Astronauts on long-duration space missions.
As part of the research, an e-mental health tool developed by researchers at Black Dog Institute will be trialled this month.'

'Rape convinct, Gurmeet Ram Rahim recently complained of ‘uneasiness and restlessness’ at Rohtak jail. The doctors who examined him claimed that his symptoms are a ‘physical manifestation of withdrawal symptoms of sex addiction’.'

'For kids, grandparents provide stability, safety, wisdom and fun. In return, caring for grandchildren can help stave off depression, boost social connections and keep older adults mentally sharp. Research shows proven health benefits – along with some challenges – from this important family relationship.'

'Jenny Mollen, an actress and bestselling author of Live Fast Die Hot, has been publicly celebrating her pregnancy on Instagram since April. But last week, she got real about her struggle with prenatal depression.'

'Whether you have school-age children at home or are just a student of life, back-to-school season is a great time to think about keeping our minds sharp. And this isn’t just limited to the two-legged! Furry friends have mental health needs, too, and there are a number of factors that can affect the cognitive and psychological wellbeing of your pet.'

'Stress in the workplace is becoming a major issue for organisations and according to the latest statistics, there were 488,000 cases of work related stress, depression or anxiety last year in the UK which equates to roughly 1.5 British workers out of every 100.'

'About a week before 15-year-old Ankan Dey’s body was found in the bathroom of his home on Aug. 12, a towel wrapped around his neck and a plastic sheet around his face, he had scribbled an English poem in his notebook.'

'Stress is experienced by all of us and so is for the soldiers of the Indian Army. Keeping in mind the nature of their job these individuals are living in stress breeding environment with pressure of guarding hostile borders. Soldiers of Indian Army experience stress arising from both professional as well as domestic fronts. At the professional level factors like living conditions, tenure in difficult areas/ insurgencies, interpersonal conflicts and similar is the pressure created by household worries such as family disputes, medical conditions of family members, marital discord, education of children and a sense of loneliness and disconnect because of living away.
At the same time often these soldiers are prompted to hide their problems and emotional issues because of the stigma and fear that sharing would affect their career negatively. The combined effect of stressors and lack of opportunity to share many a time push soldiers down towards the path of mental deterioration and illness- leading to suicide and fratricide.
Keeping in mind the current statistics, over the last 3 yrs. stress has claimed life of 310 soldiers (including 9 officers, 19 JCOs ) and 11 cases of fratricide (Times News Network, Times of India, 2017). There is an immediate need for some serious actions to be taken on part of the Government to ensure emotional well-being of the soldiers guarding us along with providing them with an open non-discriminating environment and professional help.
There is an acute shortage of professionals (both psychiatrist and counsellors) in the armed forces; also the religious teachers to whom soldiers can share their problems are not posted in all units. Acknowledging the demand and supply gap of mental health professional in our country with only 0.3 psychiatrists, 0.12 nurses, 0.07 psychologists and 0.07 social workers per 1 lakh population (WHO). The only viable solution to this current need is online emotional wellness screening and interventions which would help us in providing stress services to soldiers without putting pressure on the already existing demand supply gap and in a non-stigmatising manner.
No Worry No Tension Healthcare- an online emotional wellness platform under the guidance of Dr. Sandeep Vohra, an eminent psychiatrist, has developed stress-o-meter tool. It is a scientific stress screening tool that helps in evaluation stress experienced by an individual along with the areas from which it is emanating. The platform also provides a chance to obtain secure and confidential emotional wellness solutions in terms of counselling and medical treatment.'

'According to a report from Campus Reform, Dr. Richard Watson set out the policies - including letting students choose their own grades - for two of his fall business courses at University of Georgia.'

'Mental health and Stigma
Mental health is becoming a major health issue which needs attention but the social stigma attached to mental illness makes it difficult for people to come forward and seek help. It is time we change as a society towards this illness; time to speak out against this stigma.'

'Anxiety and emotional breakdown is as common in children as in adults. Children often experience stress that doesn’t come under any mental or anxiety disorder. How does one tackle such children help reduce their level of stress and anxiety?'

'While it's not always easy to recognize when kids are stressed out, you can still check out for some signs which indicate that your child is under stress. Don’t ignore initial symptoms; kids under stress can pose a danger for themselves as well as for others.'

'A new blood test may identify major depressive disorder (MDD) in adults, and could potentially help clinicians predict which patients with the disorder will respond to cognitive- behavioral therapy (CBT), new research suggests.'

' New research shows that schizophrenia isn’t a single disease but a group of eight genetically distinct disorders, each with its own set of symptoms. The finding could be a first step toward improved diagnosis and treatment for the debilitating psychiatric illness.

The research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis is reported online in The American Journal of Psychiatry.

'A study published in Psychological medicine reports a link between bullying in childhood and psychosis in later life.
A community-based study of more than 4700 participants from the United Kingdom showed that those who were bullied at the age of 10 years were more than twice as likely to suffer from episodes of psychosis by the age of 18 as those who were never bullied.
Interestingly, children who reported doing the bullying themselves were almost 5 times more likely to have psychotic experiences by the age of 18 years.'

'A new study suggests that disturbed sleep in adolescents is associated with more symptoms of depression and greater uncertainly about future success. However, perceived support and acceptance from parents and teachers appears to have a protective effect.'

'New research published in Media Psychology suggests that looking at your Facebook profile can be psychologically good and bad for you. The finding revealed that checking your profile is capable of boosting your self esteem while at the same time reducing motivation.'

'SAN FRANCISCO — The greater the overuse of smartphones, the greater the risk for severe psychopathologies in adolescents, new research suggests.
The study of nearly 200 adolescents in Korea showed that those who were very high users of smartphones had significantly more problematic behaviors, including somatic symptoms, attentional deficits, and aggression, than did those who were low users'

'Episodes of depression are more common among teenage girls than among boys, and more common among older teenage girls than younger ones.
Abstract Teaser
An annual average of 1.4 million girls aged 12 to 17 experienced a major past-year depressive episode from 2008 to 2010, according to a “data spotlight” from the Substance Abuse and Mental'

'NAGPUR: Government Dental College and Hospital (GDCH), Nagpur, which played a major role in bringing a ban on gutkha, is now focusing on other tobacco products through its tobacco cessation programme. The hospital is working towards collection of data related to tobacco habits among various population groups, like women, schoolchildren and labourers, and the effects on their health. This data will be passed on to the government agencies.'